For once, I'm hoping that we are not in the polls. Last night was one of the most exilerating games I have ever watched, but it also showed we are not there yet. I would prefer to be under-the-radar until we can beat a big time team. The last two years have curbed my early season expectations.

You can't ignore Michigan's struggle against ND in the first three quarters. The defense still can't stop anybody(though they're marginally better than last year) and the offense is still in a major work in progress. If ND took care of the ball, they win big, but they didn't. That's the way game goes.

Good thing that EMU is terrible, Michigan should roll this game since they're far more inferior than WMU.

But some of that was a wash because on at least one of those turnovers we gave the ball right back. Denard did throw three interceptions yesterday. The defense did play better. They had some brain farts too. With that being said, I am still encouraged that this is a different team than the one we saw the past several years. Second game in a new system. They still will get better.

If you have to ask twice it means that you didn't get it the first time.

Even the first pick was ND's fault. Brian Kelly said the TE ran the wrong route, and Rees threw it where the guy was supposed to be. Regardless, Kovacs did have to make an outstanding play to pick off that ball.

Our players still had to make plays on the ball, and fight for those fumbles, but most of the turnovers were a result of our defense capitaliizing on unforced errors, not forcing errors.

San diego state is probably on the same level as Western without Jordan White... or any other receivers for that matter. Plus they aren't changing offensive systems or defensive systems so Hoke and Borges know what they'll be doing. It might end up being a blowout victory for Michigan.

You don't have to be real good. Just as good or better than the other mediocre teams, with a notable victory. I mean, USC should have lost to Minnesota. But someone has to be ranked. We're talking top 25, not top 5. At the end of the year the 25th ranked team will have 4 losses.

Just being honest, but we shouldn't be in the top 25 unless we're undefeated and beat MSU, the next morning should be the first day we're back in the top 25.

“True loyalty is that quality of service that grows under adversity and expands in defeat. Any street urchin can shout applause in victory, but it takes character to stand fast in defeat. One is noise — the other, loyalty.”

We COULD, but I don't think it'd be a forgone conclusion (I know you didn't say that it would) that we'd beat ANY of those teams.

I'd definitely put us behind USC, Houston, Maryland, and UCF. In fact UCF should be ranked...they DOMINATED BC last week. They beat Georgia in the LIberty Bowl and returned like 19 starters. Houston has Keenum in his 17th year.

UCF and Houston could easily be undefeated this year going into the C-USA Championship game. Both are better than Michigan right now.

Michigan had a couple big plays to beat WMU, but it's WMU a MAC team...who cares. Then ND may have put the game away had Mike Martin not rub his sweat all over the ball when ND was in the red zone to go up two scores, and its ND a choke job team with a hot head coach who is overrated...who cares?

We play EMU and SDSU...who cares?

Minnesota? Still don't care.

N'Western...kinda care.

MSU...first legit victory.

We deserve to be higher than all of them? Based on what exactly? Have we been powering through teams? Even if they're MAC teams, have we straight dominated games? I'm just confused as how we deserve to be higher. Why? Because we're Michigan and in the Big Ten and most of them are not?

“True loyalty is that quality of service that grows under adversity and expands in defeat. Any street urchin can shout applause in victory, but it takes character to stand fast in defeat. One is noise — the other, loyalty.”

Wisconsin wasn't even that good. Oregon State blows. They lost to Sacremento State at home last week. The Wisconsin shut out looks nice, but I definitely anticipated Oregon State losing by more than 30. They will likely be the doormat of the Pac12.

Wisconsin beat UNLV(week 1) by 35 who were down to washington state by 35 by halftime and lost by 52.Then they beat a shitty Oregon State team without there 1 good player, who lost to Sacremento State.Wisconsin continues to schedule cupcakes, they will never play anyone out of conference.Thety were supposed to start a series with Va. Tech last year but of course backed out.Not hard to win 10 games every year when you only play 2 ranked teams each year.

I'm fine not being ranked. If this team beats SDSU, Minny, and NW, then sure, go and rank them. But this team needs to be someone like MSU, Iowa, or Nebraska. Looking at the schedule, though, I can definitely see this team being 8-2 or 9-1 heading into the games against Nebraska and OSU, which would be amazing given how the past couple of years have played out.

really we have no reason to even be sniffing the the top 25 at this point. keep winning and then talk to me after we play spaarty. we keep winning and win that one then they can go ahead and put us in there.

Is creating turnovers and getting 3rd down stops so how is that not BETTER than before? ND is a good football team that has made some mistakes but im pretty sure Mattisons D calls and alignments are causing some confusion and when you have QBS thinking too much they make mistakes. Im predicting ND beats MSU next week.

There is going to be fun to watch. Either ND goes 0-3, or Sparty begins their slide back to mediocrity. If last night is any indication of the quality of ND's secondary then I would expect to see MSU looking to throw a lot of jump balls.

I don't think ND will move the ball on them like they did to us, and I think Sparty is one of the better teams in the B1G this season. If ND can somehow not turn it over it'll be a good game - but I think that's unrealistic.

Honestly, I'm nervous about Sparty and Northwestern, and even SDSU. We've got a ways to go before we're where we need to be - which is in the top 25, and atop the B1G.

Obviously I agree that we're higher than we should be, but I can't help but wonder if our opinions on it would be different if ND had beaten USF last weekend. They'd have that little number next to their name and the reaction to this would be totally different.

Polls are relatively meaningless* "Hey, I think that, too" cluster fx, which is why they are nearly identical to each other week after week, year after year.

We've been asked to this dance before. The last few times we made the rankings haven't proven very predictive of the season.

* Note I said "relatively" meaningless; they're not meaningless if you're in the hunt for a BCS championship invitation, but we're not going to be on that short list this year (I hope I don't hurt anyone's feelings by making this observation).

I disagree with the people who are saying that ND is not a good team this year, and that our win shouldn't have too much value. They have been incredibly unlucky in their first two games (some mental errors aside) with the timing and nature of turnovers. It's hard for me to admit, but I think they're a better team than us this year. They'll win some games. Starting next week, I predict.

"There was a time I could have been mistaken for Burt Reynolds. I had a moustache and so did he. But he was the number one star in the world, so there wasn't really much confusion."

Miss. St plays LSU, Texas plays at UCLA. I would bank on at least on of them losing, if not both, which would knock them out of the top 25. A convincing win against Eastern will move us in.

The top 25 is not a measure of how well we have played or how they expect us to play, it is a measure of where we are vs. other teams. As I look at the teams recieving votes just behind us, I think we could beat most of those teams, which earns us the place we have...not that any of it really matters until the last few weeks of the season.

After ND pummels Sparty next week, pollsters will realize they were voting the wrong team from Michigan into the polls. There won't be any major move up the polls until the Wolverines beat Sparty. Michigan won't be favored over Sparty yet because people love to overrate them, but when they put Sparty back in their place, they should be favored over everyone else except Iowa, Nebraska, and maybe Ohio.

make it sound like we played a perfect game while ND crapped the bed. No, we didn't play well either. We had three turnovers at critical junctures in the game. But, in the end, we made more plays than they did. Granted, we didn't set the world on fire. But we hung around long enough, even with the mistakes, to win that game. They didn't play perfect, but neither did we. There were positives that can be taken away from this game. There are things we definitely can build on. Second game, new systems.... I will take this win and move on.

If you have to ask twice it means that you didn't get it the first time.

I think we beat a better team last night. Somehow, someway we managed to make big plays when they counted. At the end of the day its a W and they all look alike the win column. Was a great game to be a part of.

It's good to know that Michigan got noticed by coaches and journalists after the Notre Dame game, since ND has a potent offense, when they are not using it to shoot themselves in the foot.

I will be happy for MIchigan to linger at this rank for the next three games. While I respect SDSU they are not seriously considered by pundits, and it will give Michigan fans a chance to see what we might look like on offense and defense in a couple years. While I like EMU as a small college, it is a couple quantum leaps from the Big Ten, and it will serve to only expose any glaring deficiencies and a chance for the offense to recover from the ND and build their confidence until they meet a Big 10 oppenent. Northwestern without Dan Persa should obviously be less a threat on offense than with him, but I would like to see us play NW with Dan Persa in order to develop our defense.

MSU is the first serious opponent in the Big 10 that would earn us a leap in respect amongst others and ourselves. I am tired of losing to MSU the last three years, and our defense needs to show us they can handle Kirk Cousins and Edwin Baker effectively. It can serve to show the defense, where we can meet the challenge, and out of respect to MSU, Kirk Cousins and Baker will be more popular in the NFL draft someday, when they met a strong Michigan team - win or lose. Minnesota has not been traditionally a serious threat, and right now, I hope Coach Kill gets well soon.

Right now - 4 B1G 10 teams are in the top 25 - Wisconsin, Nebraska, MSU and Ohio, and three other teams have received votes - Michigan, Northwestern, and Penn State. I would like to see 6 B1G 10 teams in the top 25 sometime this year, if the football gods deem them worthy,

I wish a restful and quite 9/11 to all!

Knowing is not enough, you must apply; willing is not enough, you must do.

I bet we struggle next week to begin with and then pull away in the second half. But with a sub-par first half we won't be in the top 25 come next sunday. But after we clean up against SDSU top 20 will be all ours! GO BLUE!!!!